FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) -- The future of the Wisconsin convict known as the "Halloween Killer" will be decided in a Fond du Lac County courtroom.

The proceedings will determine whether Gerald Turner will be set free or committed to a mental health facility for the rest of his life.

A state appeals court has ruled Turner's case should be heard in Fond du Lac County, where the crime occurred in 1973. Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing 9-year-old Lisa Ann French on Halloween night when she went trick-or-treating in his neighborhood.

Turner's Feb. 1, 2018 mandatory release date prompted the state Department of Justice to file a petition to commit the 69-year-old, arguing that he is a sexually violent person and should not be released.

Turner is currently held at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston.